CRITICS’PICKS

A lot of theories have been put forth as to why dramatic films on Iraq have not performed up to expectations, and one is that they’ve simply not been gripping films. “Stop-Loss,” however, is different. The story of a young American soldier played by Ryan Phillippe who resists an order to return to Iraq, “Stop-Loss” covers some of the same territory as other features. The difference here is a quality of propulsive emotional intensity that pushes us over rough spots as it drives us insistently forward, an intensity that must be credited to director and co-writer Kimberly Peirce, whose last film was the landmark “Boys Don’t Cry.” “Stop-Loss” does have its uneven moments, but its impact is undeniable.